Believe
by pahlee
Summary: Sometimes, when you're in love, believing is the only thing you got. A small drabble with Ranma and Akane and their love life. One-shot.


**Disclaimer: **Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.

Believe  
>by pahlee<p>

"Is this some kind of joke?" she asked in a tone that was almost a whisper. Her eyes were glued to the ground as she waited for his answer.

"Wh-what!" he exclaimed in surprise, his face contorting into confusion. Ranma took that moment to glance at his fiancee and look her over. Her demeanor screamed serious.

He felt her hand slip from his, their fingers untangling as she turned to face him. The sudden shift of the atmosphere caught his attentiom as he watched Akane stand before him, staring him down with her misty eyes. "What are you doing?" she said as she took a quick survey around, spotting no one, "Who are you trying to get now, Ranma?"

Her words scratched the surface of the thin line he dare not cross with their relationship. So, he did what he knew - he answered.

"Huh? There ain't nobody I'm trying to _get_, Akane." he answered.

She removed her gaze ans turned her attention back to the ground, "What's it now? Ukyo not paying enough attention to you? Shampoo? Kodachi? Who're you trying to fool, _now_?"

Akane trembled as the words left her lips. She could feel her heart begin to ache, but she continued to hurt herself more as she braced for his answer. Even though she knew the day-old excuse was sure to come, she wanted to hear it from him.

He always did this to her. He, Ranma Saotome, always led her on. Never of his violation to show the slightest sign of affection, she knew instantly it was a set up. The moment he had slipped his hand into hers, she knew that it was a ploy.

It was always a ploy.

When Shampoo had blatantly ignored him while under the effects of the reversal jewel, he had used her as an anchor to try and make her jealous. He had pulled her close to him and she felt like she was floating on clouds - until she found out his real intentions.

Oh, and there was the time he and her pretended to be married when Ukyo's sauce was a blunder when it was all his fault. He played his part to the fullest, whereas Akane did not have to try at all - she was not pretending.

A soft sigh escaped her lips as all the memories flooded her mind as she stood, she clenched her fists as she opened her eyes to say, "Well?"

"I toldja, no one!" he cried out in exasperation. He ran his hand through his bangs as he looked at Akane. She was standing proudly now, but her eyes were lined with unshed tears. "Are you not comfortable with me h-holding your hand?" he asked, his voice a bit shaky.

He began to hesitate now. Ranma was sure that this was something she, they, wanted - right?

"You expect me to believe you?" Akane replied coldly.

Ranma was confused, but she continued on. "You expect me to believe you," she laughed uneasily, "When you say you want to hold my hand?"

His heart skipped a beat, it dropped - hard.

She titled her head back a little, the tears no longer being held back, "I'm tired of being used in your little antics for the other girls, Ranma. Four years is a long time to put up with this, and quite frankly," she faced him - their gazes locked, "It's heartbreaking."

At that, she turned her back to him and took in a deep breath, "Ranma, if you really don't want this engagement, you know as well as I do that ours can be the one that can be dealt with the most ease."

Ranma was rooted to his spot. Everything was going wrong, his initial intention was long gone and the very last thing he wanted to happen - was happening. His mouth was slightly ajar as he tried to say the words. But, no words came.

"Just say the words Ranma, and I can be one less problem in your life." she whispered.

"Akane," he finally spoke up. The tone of his voice surprised him as he went on to say, "You crazy tomboy... Since the beginning we never wanted this." The words came out wrong. He kicked himself mentally as he knew the words words would be interpreted wrong and his fears were taken into account as the tear stricken female martial artist turned her back to him once more.

"I understand, and...you're right." she said, she clutched the loose fabric of her blouse. Ranma had said it, she heard him say it; therefore, she had no obligation to him anymore. He did not want her.

She knew, she always knew.

But, why did it hurt so much when he did finally say it?

Akane broke out into a sprint back to the Tendo household, her tears spilling over her cheeks as she tried to suppress all her emotions back into the depths of her heart that now lay in pieces in her chest. Her feet pounding against the pavement made it up to her ears as she raced home.

She loves him.

And he did not love her.

All these years, she believed there was a chance, some hope, that possibly maybe that he may have too. But, he did not. This she knows because he had told her so. Every time he used her, pretended to care and even when he claimed her as his - it meant nothing.

Nothing.

Like their relationship, it meant nothing.

Why did she have to go and believe that someone like him would ever love a girl like her?

A stupid, brute tomboy who is klutzy and flat as a board?

Because he had made her believe it. And stupidly, she fell for it. And now, it was over and she is back to where she was four years ago - alone.

She made it to the dojo where she threw the doors open and flung herself inside and began performing katas. Each move she made was hard, and she soon found herself on her knees as she had over extended her arm.

Tears of pain made themselves present as they fell to the wooden floor. She was too much in her folly that she had failed to notice someone enter the dojo. A pair of feet appeared before her. A pair of hands reached for her face and they turned her attention to its owners.

Ranma.

"You dummy, you misunderstood what I meant. This _arranged _marriage isn't what we wanted. But this love," he whispered as he pulled her up to stand before him, "Whether you wanted it or not, is what I wanted. And you better believe that's the truth. I'm sorry for the past, I was an idiot. I played the fool, but I don't want to lose you - you're the best thing in my crazy life, Akane. Please, believe me when I say," he leaned down slowly to give her a kiss on the forehead, "I love you. And I really do wanna hold your hand."

And like she always did, before and always, she believed him.

She figures that she always will because she knows its true.

That she loves him, and he loves her.

**Author's Note**  
>Hrmm, it is 1AM in my dorm. I cannot sleep, so I produce this one shot ;) I did not include this in <em>Hatsukoi<em> because I believe this one shot can stand on its own.

Enjoy my nightly mind treat, hehe.

Fixed the spelling mistakes, thank you_ tuatara _for pointing it out; and thank you everyone for your reviews :)*


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